It Worked!

The Youtube site is a better quality version

Have you met Algebra?

Getting to know Algebra

Manchego's new roommate

View of backyard

Bad cat: wise Lady

Final Animatic!

Final Animatic

Comments on Final project

I have been so far unsuccessful loading video onto this blog directly. The link feature was also not working last not, so unfortunately, you have to copy and paste the YouTube link to be taken to the video.

I had arranged for the voice talent of Moose to be recorded on Monday. He ended up getting sick and not be able to reschedule on time. Although I collected a variety of sound effects, I just ran out of time on the sound.

The first part of the animatic, up to Algebra waving the Canadian flag, is meant to be the show opener. "Beats for the Opening Sequence" basically outlines the VO for this part.

The shot of Algebra sleeping on Moose proceeding the Canadian flag, is the beginning of the first episode where you meet the characters and Moose learns a little bit about the food chain on the deck. Some of the shots have been altered/omitted from the Episode 1 guide. Some things were too difficult to model in the time. I had to steal a Santa and animate it in After Effects. (Remeber, he flies like that because he is supposed to be drunk).

I had some difficulties with the scale of objects I chose. Moose is made in such a way that he can't really eat cat food, for example. Manchego doesn't fit in Moose's head. Moose's head isn't as close to the bottom of the roof as I imagined. Although I love 3Ds Max, I don't know how I am going to be able to model talking animals anytime soon, so I may have to go back to flat animation or some combo of 3D sets and flat mouths/characters.

More Scans

link to movie/animatic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56lUdfhlBTY

new scans

Final Review

Finished story board or animatic that is clearly a scene from the 1500 word story.

From 1 minute to 3 minutes

sequential order

The big 3:

interactive locations

compelling actions

interesting characters

previz:  make your film before you shoot it

scceenplay-->shotlist--> drawing

text image dagram

camera moves

shot types

crane

CU

WS

Dolly (zolly)

American shot=knees up

steadicam=stabilizing device that keeps the movement fluid

boom: up on a boom

POV: subjective shot

reaction shot

pan

tracking

zoom

rackfocus

low angle

high angle

establishing shot

MS

ECU

cutaway

dutch angle

over the shoulder

2 shot

cross dissolve

Overhead views (diagram) and interpretting them to shots (image)

Aspect Ratios:

SD4:3

HD=16:9

16mm 1.66 or European projection

super 16 

35mm 1.85:1

'scope

Perspective: try to decide what kinds of perspectives would be applied 

1pt

2pt

3pt.

Figure drawing with puppet:  relative proportions

Fleshing out a stick figure using ellipses

Eyes at center of face

rest divided into 1/3s nose/mouth/chin

ears equilateral to eyes

Santa's theme song

Santa's sleigh should be playing a Christmas song that is remixed like the Vengo bus with a big speaker on the back. And possibly have ground effects.

Film Noir

Algebra is always set in film noir style lighting.  This references the wood slats she is always hiding behind and is always in shadow.  Also, she supposedly has too much terrible knowledge.  Actually, this femme fatale is just totally ignorant, although she has had possible disturbing things happen to her in her past.

Canadian Tundra:

Link to gaming art

Assets still needed

Reindeer style harness for moose

Manchego

Christmas decorations.

party stuff

possible person? (Erin, Santa, legs)

cat food for dish (could be bit map)

hand or bag dropping food.  Could be bit map

Bird to be killed

predesigned elements from the internet

Jack and the Bean Stalk

Futuristic story of Jack and the Bean Stalk told in a time where there is nearly no food.  All food has been patented by a few companies and they own the rights to all food--even wild examples. People are prosecuted for eating/growing food without paying the licensing fees.  Through corporate bioterrorism, whole crops have been poisoned with the suicide disease.  Crops have been bred to kill all other crops and the resulting plant has a very low yield.  Only a few crops are left.  Food has become flavorless and has little nutrition.  Many types of people or races have died because peoples immune systems can not handle the new food.  Perhaps undesirables have been eliminated in this way.  Also super diseases, virulent competing plants and plagues have evolved.

Jack lives at home with his single mother.  They are nearly starving.  They have a rare cow, who is also starving. 

The cow is either:

1. One of the last non-bioengineered animals.  It is partly starving because it is only fed the bioengineered food that is made to kill all non genetically modified animals
2. An unlicensed cow.  The family has been caught with it and Jack must trek to the big city to return it
3. The cow is licensed to the family but they cannot afford to renew the license, Jack must return the cow to Monsanto.

Jack meets a mysterious man on his way.  He trades the cow for the seeds.  

Either:

1. This is illegal.  His mother is very fearful that the seeds will get them into trouble.  And now they haven't returned the cow and have something else illegal. She throws the seeds into the ground
   
2. People no longer remember how to plant seeds or that they grow into food.  His mother doesn't even understand what they are.  All food is cloned/people know longer food doesn't come in bags
3. The mother is from the old country and that is why they have a  normal cow

Bad Cat the seer

Bad Cat has a lump body shape like a Buddha or yoda. She is a seer and has one blind blue eye. She looks mongrelish. Her front paws and tail look like robes wrapped in front of her. Although, occassionally, in the midst of very mystical advice, she will bite her tail when "it is trying to get away". It should always be flopping at the tip irregularly, ruining her mystique.

Mikenese

The moose's heavy Mikenese slang contributes to the confusion about the basement and canada being the same place.
The Mikenese should escalate: e.g. "for days" has to be said before "por dias"

South Park Storyboards

South Park Storyboards

Here's some great examples of storyboards from Southpark.  There is a short continuous storyboarded sequence as well as an unfinished version of the episode with some animation mixed with storyboard sequences and VO.  

sketch 1st episode

1. Overhead shot of Algebra sleeping on Moose: Crane up revealing partied-on deck
2. Moose wakes up, flinging cat off himself while yelling "hot"/Moose thought bubble=fire
3. Cat runs to and hangs out under bench
4.  Wider shot of deck
5. WS disheveled Santa flying of in night sky
6. CU Moose talking/
7. CU Algebra talking/lady filling food bowl
8. FS Moose stretching
9. FS or CU Algebra's ears perk up accompanied by sound of food hitting bowl
10. Shot of Algebra talking
11. WS of Moose walking to hide on deck
12. FS of Algebra leaning against the door
13.  Cut to moose
14. Cut to Moose's perpective=the door opens.  A pair of Legs emerge (maybe this shot should be reconsidered as Moose is tall) and tosses some food in a bowl and grabs the other bowl.  Algebra begins eating.  The door opns again
15. MS Algebra rolls over on her back 
16. Low Shot:Algebra runs when human gets close and deposits water back on deck.  
17. Moose Perspective: The human has an old fashioned ice pack held to her head as she goes to exit.  
18. Low shot:  Another cat comes out gets tangled in the legs, and enters the porch.  Manchego, the new cat, approaches the food bowl and Algebra moves out of her way.
19. CU mooses perspective:  Algebra eats only a little before sauntering around the deck,  Algebra resumes eating
20. Cut to the Moose watching, he hears a loud thumping of a crash. He turns to look.
21. Manchego jumps to the roof and looks down at the Moose from this vantage point. She says "Who are you? You're on my deck. Are you from my party?"
22. Moose look up and says "I was a reindeer"
23. Manchego "What are you anyway, you don't smell like a dog and you're too big to be a raccoon."
24. (two shots intercut and the animals say their lines)
25. CU Manchego appears to consider
26. Manchego jumps into the bowl of Moose's antler
27. Manchego walks to the moose's top of the head
28. Shot of Manchego peering into Moose's face
29. Algebra jumps back onto the roof and disappears over the roof
30. Moose walks around to meet Algebra.  When he gets to the doorway, the door is now open and the bowl of cat food is full
31. Moose pokes his head into the doorway. He has to turn his head sideways to accommodate his antlers
32. Algebra is inside the kitchen, eating the inside food
33. Moose turns his head back to the outside bowls and slurps all the water in one gulp.
34. The Moose shuffles down the porch, and eats the dying plants
35. CU:  Moose is chewing, plants are hanging out of his mouth and he chews and hollers:Who's that bitch? She was buggy.  He calls back into the kitchen.  
36. Algebra walks out of the doorway and licks her face as she walks. She says: meal ticket
37. Moose looks down at the full bowl of food in the doorway, reaching his head around
38. Cu Moose looking at food, head low: That stuff looks like what comes out not what goes in
39. Algebra says: better than grass.  Where is Algebra when she says this?  has she moved to sit somewhere?  does her face peer into the bowl with Moose?
40. MS Moose tries some of the food
41. CU Moose makes an appreciative evaluating face
42. Algebra speaks again same q's about where is Algebra now
43. WS of both Algebra and Moose on deck.  Moose says: I like this place. I think I will crash for a while..  Camera crane up to show wider view of environment
44. FS of Algebra hiding under something (possibly under steps leading down, looking through cracks, perhaps having been there during this whole interaction) Says: Yes, you're warm. Stay
45. END OF 1ST mini Story

Prompt Book of The Godfather

1. The synopsis
2. The imagery
3. the core
4. the pitfalls

hijinks ideas

Either the moose or one of the raccoons is constantly picking up new SF hobbies:

• firedancing
• tightrope walking
• capoiera
• yoga
• a new kind of better yoga
• Hula hooping
• making fancy drinks with weird ingredients found on the deck
• jewelry making
• marijuana cultivation/bakery
• meth lab
• real estate agent
• Filipino gangster
• wild foraging chef
• energy work/psychic studies
• works for sierra club as a door to door canvaser
• graphic designer/animator

Charater list with descriptions

• Moose:  Gay partier, who arrive with lecherous Santa's crew of wild boys at a Xmas party on a deck in SF.  Speaks "Mike-sican" Needs to get back to Canada, but taking his time.  Very social, and naive.  Trusting and fashionable [LOVABLE LOSER? out of this world?]
• Algebra:  the outdoor cat and roommate to Moose.  She is lonely and cold living on the deck but enjoys the free food of her rich indoor neighbor. She is intensely distrustful.  She is however confident she has things figured out.  She tries to teach Moose "the streets" in the same way she was educated by her deceased outdoor cat friend. [Neurotic/Straight, sarcastic character]  Thai bar girl-type character?  Uses the famous expression "Same Same".  Expression often means that what you want is the same as the thing I am offering for sale.  This also adds to the basement/Canada confusion.  It also echos the philosophy that your best strategy to receive assets from those that have them is to agree with anything/appear to agree with everything.  Also, showcases the divergence of true feeling which is utter disdain for their benefactors
• Manchego (cartoon name TBD): the rich indoor cat.  Shallow, free-spirited, adventurous.  Arrogant.  Shares with her friends but to a point.  Maintains her "top cat" placement.  Was also educated by Bad Cat.[Materialist]
• Raccoon (name TBD) :  Does not follow the rules or code passed down to the cats.  With his nimble fingers and paws, the raccoon open doors and takes the things that he wants and believes those who do not are weak and suckers.  Also the raccoon has not been fixed, like the cats. [Bastard]
• The Legs:  feeder of the animals.  Both cares for and tries to keep the animals in check but is basically dominate by the animals.  The animals are shown reacting to The Legs, but not much is shown about the Legs directly.
• Erin (name TBD):  the human who hangs out on the porch and makes friends with Moose.  The gossip together and smoke.  She is also young to the city but a bit more seasoned than the Moose.  She is also at the mercy of the charity of the legs.  Algebra is wary of Erin
• Bad Cat: (name TBD)  Bad Cat appears in flashback and to Algebra ala OB1.  She plays the role of the wiseman, although her advice is somewhat questionable.  Her body is shown coiled up like a Indian-style Buddha.  She is an orange cat and appears like a monk.[WiseWoman]
• The city SF itself:   The city is an exaggerated version of itself.  This version of the city is SF 20-30 years later as if the recession that has begun now just got worse and worse.  Something of a modern Havana. The city is made up of multiple layers of development and decay and the building are made up from multiple eras.  The city is consumed with itself and is consuming itself.  It is both a celebration and a destroyer. 

MINOR Characters:

•  Santa:  drunk and debauched, but somewhat benevolent and enjoying life.  Picks up hooved animals and hitches them into his sleigh as his entourage. Loves to visit the Folsom Street scene in SF as they share his appreciation of harnesses and a theatrical flair [Manizer]
•  Rats:  live in ganglike and culturally distinct and separate communities.
  
• Other Raccoons: 

Beats for opening sequence

1. This is the story of how I,  a Canandian moose, came to stay on a city deck: (shot of moose/deck, from above)
2. I showed up at a Christmas themed costume party, and missed my ride (shot of party/moose in reindeer outfit, shot of drunk Santa driving away)
3. I made friends with the locals, some are nicer than others (shot of cats/ shot of raccoon or bunch of revelers together, with Legs?)
4. I had always been intrigued by the bright lights of the big city, and decided to stay awhile... (shot of Moose looking up at northern lights)
5. But I knew one day I would have to get back to Canada...
6. Have you met Algebra?  She's from Canada too...Only she calls it the basement (Shot of Canada or Canadian flag fade into a basement)  Together, we're making a plan to get home, and I know we'll make it back by next winter--but I hope we don't make it too soon! because I am having a great time in the city!
7. [We call her Algebra, because she's got it all figured out] (shot of Algebra with elaborate drawn out numeric plans)

cat behaviors

Cat shredding a box

cat fight

eating a bird against a window

raccoon molest cat

video

stealing food

invading a kitchen

cat eating with Raccoon

cat vs. bear

cat fights another cat through a window

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZMunpgOtI

drunk moose cartoon

More Moose inspiration

Moose and Northern lights

Santa's sleigh images

A cat and moose touch noses